


it's human nature to miss what's under your nose ('til you remind a fool)

by dj jiggle juice (therestisconfetti)



Series: Bechloe Week 2018 [2]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Bechloe Week, Bechloe Week 2018, F/F, Jealousy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-24
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-06-15 15:30:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15416022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therestisconfetti/pseuds/dj%20jiggle%20juice
Summary: Beca swears she’s not the jealous type.She isn’t, not at all. You can even ask her ex-boyfriend Jesse, but when Chloe shows up to her album release party with Chicago, she can’t help it.





	it's human nature to miss what's under your nose ('til you remind a fool)

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2: Jealousy
> 
> everyone loves a jealous!Beca, don't they?

Beca still isn’t used to all of this.

She isn’t used to the glam team Khaled hired to come over to her apartment and basically play Barbie with her before tonight. She’s not used to the fact she has a  _ publicist _ along with Theo carefully planning every appearance she has. She’s not used to the fact there are people who recognize her on the street or strangers who send her nice tweets or comment constantly on her Instagram photos.

And she’s definitely not used to the fact tonight is about  _ her  _ and her  _ debut album. _

Sure, it’s been almost a year since she’s moved to Los Angeles, but Beca still feels like this isn’t real, like this isn’t really her life.

Music is playing in the open space on the first floor of the recording studio building, a playlist meticulously put together by Beca and approved by Theo - though Beca’s noticed that he snuck two of her singles in there already.

(She’ll get him for that later.)

Beca notices her Bellas towards the left side of the room, drinks in their hands and chatting it up like nothing’s changed. She invited them all after Theo put his foot down by saying, “yes Beca, we’re having an album release party. It’s a standard celebration in the music business, you know this.”

She counts them off in her head, the ones that are able to make it. She spots Jessica and Ashley giggling with each other, eyes bright and faces full of joy like they always are. Next them, Aubrey is chatting with Emily and Stacie, who left her nearly one-year-old daughter at home with her mother. Amy is a few feet away at the open bar, chatting vividly with two guys who look at her with wide eyes.

Beca smiles at them fondly, watches the way they all interact so naturally and with ease. She makes a head count of those who couldn’t: Cynthia Rose is on the brink of finishing her required hours to officially becoming a pilot, Flo is expanding her franchise yet again and has a series of meetings this week she truly couldn’t get out of, and Lilly, or Esther, Beca figures, well she texted Beca a weird and cryptic message that Beca isn’t entirely sure she wants to figure out.

And there’s one more Bella missing, the first one Beca called before any of the others, before even bothering to text their group chat.

(Chloe had to fly in the day of the event unlike the rest of them since she had a test that morning in Davis for vet school.

Beca tries not to be disappointed that Chloe won’t be the first one she sees.)

Beca doesn’t see her, at least not yet. She can’t help it if her eyes wander around the room every other minute, trying to spot the familiar red hair and those impossibly vivid blue eyes.

She’s doing it again when she makes her way the Bellas, and she only knows it because Aubrey calls her out on it.

“Will you relax?” Aubrey almost snaps at her. “She’ll be here. Have a drink, this is all for you.”

Beca turns her head at Aubrey, eyes slightly narrowing at her. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Posen.”

Aubrey gives her a look letting Beca know she doesn’t buy it for a bit.

“She just came off a plane and has to get ready,” Aubrey reminds her gently. “Chloe will be here soon.”

Beca sighs. “I know, it’s just…”

Aubrey smiles then, gentle and understanding. “She’s excited to see you, too.”

Beca tries not to smile so wide at that.

It’s not that Chloe’s her best friend. Well, of  _ course _ it is, at least to some extent. Chloe’s practically her other half at this point. Beca’s funded a number of flights to have the redhead come down for a weekend or a performance. They text all the time, talk on the phone frequently, and even manage to FaceTime at least once a week.

But it’s more than that. It’s more than the fact that Chloe’s been a consistent presence in her life for the past almost eight years now. It’s more than the fact Beca never stood a chance at pushing Chloe away even if she tried.

No, it’s that she thinks - well, actually she’s pretty sure she knows - that somewhere along the line, she’s fallen in love with Chloe.

And she took like a million years to realize it, but she thinks - at least at some point - Chloe loves (loved?) her too.

As far as Beca’s concerned, Chloe isn’t like,  _ seeing  _ anyone and when she flies down to Los Angeles they do things like hold hands as they walk the streets and cuddle before bed and steal each other’s food during meals. They call each other things like  _ sweetie _ and Chloe lets the occasional  _ babe _ slip out, but it’s Chloe and really, it’s hard to tell if these things mean anything other than if Chloe were to do this with say, Aubrey or Emily.

Beca hopes she isn’t too late, but she can’t help but hold onto hope when she catches Chloe just looking at her sometimes, like  _ really looking at her _ and it makes Beca’s insides feel funny and Chloe gives her a smile when Beca catches her looking and it’s all too much, but in a good way, except they’ve never talked about it and Beca doesn’t know what to do about any of it.

But Beca is quickly pulled out of her thoughts when Fat Amy approaches, shoving a drink in Beca’s hand and telling her to “catch up, Shortstack. It’s a celebration!” and Stacie is cheering in agreement and everyone is just so happy so Beca knocks back a long gulp and forces herself to focus on everyone around her instead of the one person who isn’t here yet.

 

* * *

 

She and Stacie are snickering at how one of the studio interns is flirting with Emily at the bar when her eyes wander across the room for just a moment and Beca finally sees her.

At first her face lights up, but she shifts her line of sight just a little and something inside of her drops.

Beca swears she’s not the jealous type.

She isn’t, not at all. You can even ask her ex-boyfriend Jesse, but when Chloe shows up to her album release party with Chicago, she can’t help it.

Beca doesn’t notice the way her jaw kind of sets and her eyes narrow at their direction until she hears Stacie ask, “Something wrong, Beca?”

“What?” Beca asks, turning to look at Stacie. “No. Everything’s fine. Why would you ask that?”

Stacie regards her with a slightly amused expression before she’s following Beca’s previous line of sight and she smiles wide. “Oh! Chloe’s here!”

“Is she?” Beca questions, turning to look again at Chloe.

She tries her hardest to sound casual, to pretend like her whole night hadn’t just brightened when she caught sight of her best friend - right before everything dropped at the sight of Chicago with her.

“Yup!” Stacie nods, now grinning. She raises an eyebrow approvingly. “Man candy Chicago’s here, too. Get it, Chlo.”

Beca hates the way her guts twist at that, the way Stacie seems to be encouraging the fact that Chloe brought a freakin’ plus one to  _ Beca’s _ album release party and it had to be Chicago Walp out of all fucking people.

As far as Beca was concerned, Chicago was still in Paris or Munich or some far away city doing military things. Chloe had told her that their spark had fizzled rather quickly with the distance though they were still “cool with each other” even after the fact.

She hates how ridiculously handsome he looks, how his slacks and blouse are so well-fit and match Chloe’s dress as if they had planned it.

Beca especially hates how Chloe’s arm is looped through his, how when she catches sight of Beca and Stacie, her face lights up and she’s immediately tugging Chicago in their direction.

(She mostly hates herself for still thinking about how breathtakingly beautiful Chloe looks with her hair pinned back and loose tendrils falling on either side of her face, how her bright blue eyes are focused more on her than they are on Stacie.)

“Beca!”

Before Beca knows it, Chloe is right in front of her, releasing herself from Chicago and opening her arms up wide.

And yeah, Beca’s still pissed that Chloe brought Chicago to this event, but she can’t help the way her lips break into a smile when Chloe looks so happy to see her or the way she falls into Chloe’s embrace so easily.

Chloe still smells like vanilla-scented lotion and the trademark perfume she’s used since Beca’s known her, and everything about it feels like home.

For a moment, Beca forgets Chicago is there.

“You made it,” Beca breathes as she hugs Chloe back.

She can feel Chloe’s soft laugh fall from her lips rather than see it before the redhead’s pulling away.

“Of course I did,” she says like there was never any doubt. “This is a really big moment for you. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Beca practically melts right then and there, but Chicago shifts into her line of sight and she’s plastering on a smile that she hopes is friendly enough.

“Chicago,” she greets, trying to keep her voice friendly and stop it from getting an octave higher because then Chloe will  _ know _ she’s faking it.

He smiles, all charm and suave like Beca remembers.

(It makes her sick.)

“Hey Beca,” he nods. “This is amazing. Congratulations on your album.”

Beca thanks him, trying not to clench her jaw at the way he looks so stupidly genuine.

“I know I didn’t mention anything about a plus one I’m really sorry,” Chloe apologizes, grabbing Beca’s arm out of habit. “But Chicago was in town recently and we started catching up and-”

Beca waves off the rest of Chloe’s sentence, shaking her head. She does it partly because she doesn’t want to hear it and partly because she doesn’t want Chloe to think she’s upset with her.

“No don’t worry,” Beca insists. “I don’t know like, half the people here. It’s all good, Chlo.”

Chloe looks at her curiously, apologies still etched onto her features. “Are you sure?”

Beca nods, but it’s Stacie who speaks.

“She’s sure, who cares! It’s a big party!” she reminds them, nudging Beca to the side playfully. “Come here, Red.”

Chloe only giggles as Stacie envelops her into a hug. Beca can’t help but smile at the interaction, how having most of the girls around makes being in a room crowded with people less intimidating.

Stacie is whispering something in Chloe’s ear and Beca watches as Chloe’s cheeks flush. Chloe pushes Stacie’s shoulder playfully and says “oh, stop” before she’s grinning widely.

Something about the moment gives Beca the idea that they’re talking about Chicago, and she tries not to feel too disheartened.

Her and Chloe weren’t even dating anyway, right? There’s no reason she should be jealous.

(Except she totally is.

And she hates it.)

 

* * *

 

Chloe is making her rounds to the other Bellas with Chicago when Beca finds Aubrey chatting with one of the producers who helped make Beca’s album.

“Excuse me,” Beca says, her voice going a bit higher as she smiles at the producer before locking her eyes on Aubrey. “I need to borrow my friend for a moment.”

“Oh, go right ahead.”

Aubrey looks at her curiously, lips turned slightly into a frown. She doesn’t have time to respond before Beca is reaching out for her wrist and tugging her to a more secluded area of the room. 

“Beca! Hey!” Aubrey exclaims, squirming under the younger woman’s grip.

Once they’re far away enough from prying ears, Beca comes to a stop and lets go of Aubrey’s wrist. The blonde winces, rubbing the spot Beca just gripped her.

“What the hell, Beca?”

“Why didn’t you tell me she was bringing him?”

Aubrey’s eyebrows furrow together in confusion. She’s still holding her wrist close to her chest when she asks, “What are you talking about?”

“Chloe,” Beca explains, keeping her voice even and low. “She walked in with Chicago on her arm.”

The confusion on Aubrey’s face only grows, but when she turns to see Chloe chatting animatedly with Ashley and Jessica with Chicago hovering by her, her face washes over with understanding.

She looks back at Beca with a sympathetic expression. “I didn’t know she was bringing him,” she says. “I would’ve told you.”

“Oh.”

Beca somewhat deflates at Aubrey’s words because she’d been ready two seconds ago to scold Aubrey for not mentioning it, but it seems like Aubrey’s taken off guard as much as Beca is, so they stand there for an awkward beat just staring at each other.

Aubrey looks like she wants to say something, like she’s almost apologetic, but instead she takes a long sip of her martini.

Beca lets out a quiet sigh, fighting the urge to run a hand through her hair in frustration because the glam team spent over an hour on it and she knows her publicist will lose it if she so much as moves one hair out of place.

“Bree!”

The loud squeal makes both Beca and Aubrey jump, but Aubrey’s face is bursting with joy as Chloe makes a beeline for her, immediately throwing her arms around the blonde without a second thought. Aubrey laughs as Chloe talks a mile a minute, Chicago trailing behind her and Beca tries not to seem like she cares that he’s here with her.

 

* * *

 

Beca really wishes she could just stay in a corner of the room and talk to her old friends the whole night, but it’s evident early on that it’s just not going to happen. Not when she’s being pulled in every other direction by Theo to mix and mingle and meet important people that Beca can hardly keep up with.

They all tell her they like the album, that they think she’s talented and destined to be a star and Beca doesn’t quite believe them - and she’s never been good at accepting compliments, anyway - so she just plasters on a smile, nods, and takes a rather large gulp of her drink every time.

She takes an even larger gulp every time she catches sight of Chloe and Chicago, which honestly is pretty often.

(It’s not her fault Chloe commands attention everywhere she goes with her bright eyes and bubbly personality.

It’s not Beca’s fault at all that Chloe is always the first person she looks for when she walks in a room.)

Chicago’s arm is around Chloe’s waist at a respectable position and Chloe seems to lean into him from time to time. She looks up at him with a big smile, laughing when he - probably - says something funny and introducing him when she talks to new people.

It almost sickens Beca how comfortable Chloe looks with him. Her hand is always on his arm or on his chest or lightly brushing his shoulder and it’s a little too intimate for Beca’s liking. It makes her think about how Chloe almost always has to be touching her, whether it a hand on Beca’s knee or tracing patterns on Beca’s back, physical contact is an unsaid necessity between the two of them, and although Beca doesn’t quite understand it, she finds herself longing for it when she tries to fall asleep in her queen sized bed that’s way too big for her considering she shared a fold out bed for three years.

If Beca’s being honest, she’s mostly just confused.

Chloe always tells her about the boys that come and go in her life. Beca’s always known when Chloe’s had a date or talking to someone or finds a guy really attractive. It’s in Chloe nature; she’s an open book and when it comes to things like this, Beca’s pretty sure she’s one of the first people - besides probably Aubrey - to know what’s going on in Chloe’s love life.

And Chicago coming back into the picture is kind of big if you ask Beca. Chloe briefly mentions sporadically messaging him from time to time just to see how he’s doing. They’re still friends, according to Chloe.

So Beca’s sitting here trying to figure out why the hell Chloe’s acting like more than friends with a guy Beca was pretty sure was out of the picture - in a romantic sense, at least. Especially when well, it kind of feels like they’ve been dancing around each other for months now, with the visits and the calls and the presents and care packages.

(God, she’s going to need more drinks.)

Theo finally lets her go after what feels like hundreds of introductions and mindless small talk. She lets out a loud sigh of relief as she spots Chloe not too far away from the bar with the rest of the Bellas. It seems like Chicago’s momentarily disappeared and Beca feels lighter somehow. She’s quickly picking up another glass of champagne off one of the servers as she makes her way to her friends.

“Looks like Miss Famous has time for us now,” Stacie teases when Beca nears.

Beca rolls her eyes at the comment. “Good one,” she deadpans.

Chloe laughs, lightly hip checking Stacie. “Leave her alone,” she tells Stacie.

Stacie shakes her head with an amused expression. She turns to join in on Emily’s conversation with some of the other girls instead.

“I know you hate this,” Chloe says softly to Beca.

Beca blinks, somehow still  surprised at just how well Chloe’s been able to figure her out over the years. She lets out a quiet sigh, offering a slight smile.

“Who says I do?”

Chloe raises an eyebrow, a playful expression on her face along with a tone to match as she says, “Don’t tell me you’ve changed on me now, babe. Being in Los Angeles hasn’t brainwashed you just yet.”

She tries not to think too hard about how Chloe called her babe.

Beca’s smile widens and she laughs before taking a sip of her drink. “You’re right,” she admits with a grin. “I hate this shit.”

Chloe cracks a smile, a fond look on her face as her gazes falls on Beca.

“I’m so proud of you though. I hope you know that.”

Beca feels herself flush and wants to blame the alcohol she’s had, but she knows that’s not the cause.

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” she says without thinking. But she realizes her slip up quickly before adding, “All of you, really.”

Chloe looks at her then with the slightest shift in expression. Beca can’t quite pinpoint what it is because Chicago is approaching them, two drinks in hand and Chloe is smiling at him just like she did in Europe over a year ago. It’s almost like she forgets Beca’s there, the way she takes her drink and fits into the space between his arm and his side so easily. She thanks him for the drink with a smile and a kiss on the cheek and Beca can’t help the way her jaw clenches.

She knows their moment is broken, that now she’ll never figure out why Chloe looked at her the way she did merely a moment ago. Stacie attention catches and she’s enthusiastically welcoming Chicago back to their little area while Beca tries her hardest not to scowl.

Right now, Beca kind of hates Stacie, too.

She hates how welcoming Stacie is of Chicago. Beca knows that Stacie wasn’t actually in Europe to see the way Chloe fell over him like a school girl, and she knows that there’s no  _ real _ reason to hate Chicago other than the fact he captures Chloe’s attention in ways Beca wishes she could, but still.

Stacie encouraging this idea of  _ Chloe with Chicago _ makes her scowl, just a little.

Before anyone can catch the way her expression goes sour, Beca’s publicist is approaching - phone in her hand as always - and calling out to the musician.

“Beca, we need to borrow you for a photo-op!”

Beca inwardly groans, trying to stop the grimace on her lips. Her eyes immediately flutter to Chloe, who looks at her with a knowing smile.

“Go,” Chloe urges her, nodding her head towards Beca’s publicist. “Be your adorably awkward self in front of the camera.”

And Beca can’t help but laugh at that. Chloe has always known exactly what to say to Beca in any situation, and this is no different.

(At least she’ll have that over Chicago, ha.)

“Try not to look like you hate you life,” Stacie adds with a smirk.

Beca childishly sticks her tongue out at Stacie before downing the last of her champagne and turning towards her manager.

“I’m going to need another drink after this.”

“I’ll get you two.”

Beca smirks in approval, following her publicist but not without looking back at her friends, at Chloe.

Chloe is watching her go with a small smile. When she meets Beca’s eyes she holds an encouraging thumbs up.

It makes Beca breathe a little easier.

But then Chicago is saying something and Chloe’s attention is suddenly on him, laughter falling from her lips as she leans into him.

Beca looks away, letting out a short breath.

Yeah, she’s going to need those two drinks soon.

 

* * *

 

The thing about Beca is that she’s always been lightweight.

She’s gotten better about it over the years, thanks to all the Treble and Bella parties, every celebration that followed the ICCAs and Worlds over the years, and having Stacie and Chloe - resident party animals - as two of her closest friends.

But the anxiety of tonight’s event paired with Chloe looking stunning and then Chicago appearing at Chloe’s side has sped up Beca’s alcoholic intake for the night, and now she is mindlessly humming a song as she wanders around her own party.

People are dancing towards the center of the room, a mashup Beca snuck into the playlist without Theo’s approval playing. She grins wide at the reception, how people are dancing to it and nodding along with approval.

Beca eyes the bar for a moment, wondering if she should get herself another drink. Theo told her to not get plastered tonight, and she won’t, but it’s just really  _ really _ hard to see Chloe spending the night enjoying Chicago’s company while Beca is forced to run around like a circus act.

She doesn’t have long to ponder because a server is walking around with a new round of champagne on his tray. Beca hastily reaches out and grabs one, muttering a thank you before she takes a drink, eyes surveying the party.

It’s so surreal to her that these people are coming because of something she did. They’re here because somehow Beca’s managed to put her own debut album together and has two hit singles already. They’re here because DJ Khaled thought she was talented and Theo insisted the world needed to know.

They’re here because Beca would be nowhere without the Bellas, the group where Beca came into her own and really found her sound and her voice.

They’re her because Chloe Beale believed in her from the start.

Chloe.

Beca’s eyes fall on her unmistakable red hair in the middle of the room. She watches as Chloe dances with Chicago, and Beca is brought back to that night in France where everything fell into place.

She briefly thinks about how she found Chloe kissing Chicago, the way she did it with such confidence and no trace of doubt and how something about it didn’t settle quite right with Beca then.

(She thinks she knows what it is now, though.)

As Beca takes in a sharp breath, eyes never wavering from Chloe and Chicago while she takes another long sip, she thinks about the after party that followed, how Beca got so drunk she was already babbling before they even got to DJ Khaled’s suite. Most of that night is a blur if she’s being honest, but the scene that plays in front of her right now is clear as day.

She remembers seeing Chicago and Chloe dancing, Chloe giggling like an idiot as Chicago looking on adoringly. She remember the way she leans into him, pressing a soft kiss against his lips before spinning away with a giggle. She remembers the way they held hands for most of the night, and how Chloe looked so happy and Beca knew she should be too, because it’d been forever since Chloe had dated someone as nice and genuine as Chicago, but she suddenly didn’t feel great and blamed it on the alcohol.

The scene she remember of Chloe and Chicago dancing is practically being mirrored in front of her now. Chloe is having a fun time dancing with Chicago. He holds her with ease and security; it makes Beca a little sick. Chloe is giggling while her bright eyes shine at him. He pulls her in close and she stays there for a moment, looking up at him with a soft smile before she bites her lip.

Beca doesn’t want to see how the rest of this plays out, how Chloe kisses him and Beca feels like she’s falling apart inside.

Because back then, Beca didn’t know.

Now, however, she definitely does.

She knows that this will break her, that Chloe has never been just Chloe for Beca and she never will be.

Gripping her glass tightly, she’s weaving through people before she finally makes it outside, out to the area outside where two women are putting away their cigarettes before walking past Beca, the smell of smoke clinging to them.

Beca’s free hand grips the gate that’s there, a small gate to separate the standing area from the nice greenery beside it.

She lets out a long, unsteady exhale. The remnants of that cigarette smell is still in the air, but Beca continues to breathe. In. Out. In. Out.

She tries to push the thoughts of Chloe and Chicago out of her mind, but this fucking sucks.

Chloe’s the one person she wants to celebrate this accomplishment with at the end of the day. Beca had figured out a way to get her here, despite the test she had this morning and Chloe’s busy vet school schedule.

She remembers the last time she saw Chloe, surprising her by flying up to Davis up for two days because that’s the only down time Beca really had - that was excluding phone interviews Theo had set up - and bringing a digital copy of her complete album with her.

Chloe had teared up during the first song, had looked at Beca and told her how proud she is of her, how she always knew she’d do big things. She had pulled Beca into a hug, pressing a kiss at the base of her neck, sending a shiver down Beca’s spine.

And Beca had hoped she’d be able to celebrate with that person tonight, to have her by her side to make sure it all went just fine.

She thinks that maybe she should’ve made a move in Davis, that maybe Chloe was just waiting for her.

She drinks the rest of her champagne in one go.

 

* * *

 

It seems like it’s been hours before Beca hears the door swing open behind her.

“Beca,” she hears in a painfully sweet voice. “There you are. Everyone’s been asking where you’ve been.”

Beca lets out a silent sigh, turning around to face Chloe and holding up her empty glass. “I’m here,” she deadpans, giving a wry smile.

Chloe frowns, slowly approaching her. “Why are you out here alone?”

Beca shrugs, looking out towards the greenery and the night sky instead. “Why are you?”

Chloe is beside her now, hands on the gate. “I came looking for you.”

Beca wonders how long it took for Chloe to notice she was missing. She wonders how much longer she’d been with Chicago before she noticed Beca hadn’t come back to her.

(Beca always came back to Chloe.

At the semis her freshman year, at the lodge senior year.

Always.)

Beca tries not to scoff. “Shouldn’t be in there with your date?”

It comes out more bitter than she had intended, but Beca’s had enough drinks to find she doesn’t care.

“I had to make sure you were alright,” Chloe tells her in a more subdued tone.

“Right.”

The single-worded response drips of sarcasm as Beca resists the urge to scoff again. She holds tight to the railing of the gate, ignoring the way Chloe’s gaze never wavers from her.

“Beca.”

Beca turns to face her.

“Chloe,” she mocks.

Chloe crosses her arms, frustration beginning to her on her face. “What’s your deal?”

“Nothing. I’m fine,” Beca snaps, really wishing she still had some champagne left so she could distract herself by taking a sip instead of trying to hold a stare down with Chloe.

“Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

Beca glares at her, misplaced anger and her hint of jealousy beginning to show. “I don’t know why you’re so bothered about it.”

Chloe scoffs. “Seriously? You’re my best friend.”

“Yeah,” Beca laughs bitterly, shaking her head. “Don’t let me forget it.”

“What’s gotten into you?”

Chloe’s growing impatient; Beca can tell by the way her voice raises just a little and how her eyes are starting to go slightly crazy as she glares at the brunette.

(For a moment she thinks about the many times they argued their senior year.

It was probably the worst time of Beca’s college life.)

“I don’t know Chloe,” she shrugs, her voice eerily steady. “Maybe you should just go back to Chicago. I’m sure he’s missing you in there.”

“What’s your problem with Chicago?”

“My problem?” Beca repeats, giving Chloe an incredulous look. “What’s your deal, huh? I thought whatever it was you guys were doing was over.”

“Does it bother you that he’s here?” Chloe asks.

Beca clenches her jaw. She knows they’re both staring at each other with flames in their eyes, both bordering on what Beca knows they’ve been dancing around for a while now, maybe even before vet school and Los Angeles.

“No,” Beca says immediately, looking away from Chloe. “I don’t care, dude. Whatever.”

Beca tries to focus on her breathing, the steady in and out of it. She doesn’t think about how she was almost physically sick from seeing the way Chicago held Chloe earlier inside, how her stomach dropped when she finally saw Chloe only to see Chicago on her arm.

“I told you not to lie to me.”

Chloe’s voice isn’t as aggressive this time. It sounds more resigned, like Chloe doesn’t want to fight.

Something about the way she says it makes Beca feel sober. Her chest aches in a way it only does when she’s missing Chloe and hears her voice for the first time all week over the phone, or how she momentarily forgets how to breathe when Chloe appears on FaceTime.

Beca takes the risk and looks at Chloe.

She doesn’t look as frustrated anymore, but she’s still trying to press Beca for an answer. For a moment, Beca thinks she might break and tell Chloe the truth.

_ You’re right. I hate that he’s here because it feels like I lost you all over again. _

_ I lost you in France and I didn’t even know it. _

Instead, she thinks about how Chloe had been with Chicago when they were dancing, how at ease she’s been with Chicago by her side this whole night.

No.

Beca wants Chloe to be happy.

“You know what, just forget it,” she mumbles, turning away from Chloe and beginning to make her way back inside.

“Beca, wait.”

Beca feels Chloe grab her wrist and lightly tug her back. She turns, letting out an irritated sigh as she looks at Chloe.

“What Chloe? I told you to-”

“I’m sorry.”

Beca’s suddenly confused, taking in Chloe’s small voice and apologetic face. Her ocean eyes are wide and almost sad. Chloe’s looking at her like she’s got something to lose, and suddenly Beca has no idea what’s going on anymore.

“What?”

Chloe sighs, loosening her grip of Beca but not letting her go. “I said I’m sorry.”

“I heard you,” Beca tells her. “But why?”

The redhead hesitates, letting go of Beca’s wrist completely now and letting her hand drop her side.

“I...It was Stacie’s idea and I went along with it,” Chloe explains, not quite meeting Beca’s eyes. “I didn’t just run into Chicago. I...I brought him here to make you jealous.”

Beca’s eyes wide comically as she gapes. “What?”

“I mean it  _ clearly _ worked,” Chloe says, the light tease evident in her tone, but then she frowns. “But I upset you, too.”

Beca stares at Chloe for a second, jaw open and an adorably confused expression on her face. Part of her feels relief that Chloe isn’t actually re-kindling anything with Chicago. Another part is still very confused about the whole situation.

“Why were you trying to make me jealous?”

Chloe shrugs, looking up at the sky as she tries to figure out how to say what’s on her mind. Her eyes fall back to Beca a moment later, wide and honest.

“I thought if I could get a reaction out of you that maybe you’d finally make a move.”

Beca blinks. She’s slightly stunned by Chloe’s response.

“You...and me….”

Now Chloe’s smiling, a playful expression on her face as she grabs Beca’s hand. “Come on  _ babe, _ ” she says, voice light. “We’ve been walking this line forever.”

Beca isn’t entirely sure what’s happening. One moment ago, she and Chloe were fighting and now Chloe is smiling and holding her hand and looking at Beca with adoration and affection. Her words are stuck in her throat as her mind puts the pieces together.

Chloe looks like she’s waiting for a response - in an adorably patient manner - so Beca responds the only way she can think of.

Her hand slips around to the back of Chloe’s neck before she’s pulling the redhead down for a kiss.

She feels Chloe smile against her lips, but it quickly disappears as Chloe reciprocates. She kisses Beca back in a way that makes it clear that it’s only ever been Beca for her, that Chicago was never the real deal.

Beca melts into Chloe’s touch, gripping her waist so she doesn’t lose her balance.

Beca’s album release party is still going on well without her, but Beca could care less about her album or the party or her publicist or Theo because kissing Chloe for the first time feels like everything has fallen into place, that everything up until now has led to this moment.

Chloe pulls away, her eyes shining in a way they didn’t quite shine for Chicago a while back.

“Please say it,” Chloe murmurs. “Say it out loud.”

Beca doesn’t have to ask to know what Chloe’s asking for.

“I love you,” she confesses, pressing her forehead against Chloe’s. “God, I love you.”

Chloe’s face breaks out into a grin, her eyes impossibly brighter at the sound of Beca’s words.

“I love you too,” she promises. “I’ve loved you for so long.”

Hearing Chloe say those words is sweeter than any song Beca’s heard. It’s better than the feeling Beca gets when she puts together a new mashup or hears her own music come to life for the first time.

Chloe Beale saying she loves Beca is like having her own secret song dedicated to her.

Beca would take that over a stupid album anyday.

She kisses Chloe again, this time a bit harder, trying to make it clear that she wants this and has waited so long for it.

She’s not sure how long they’re kissing before the door swings open.

“Oh my god, it totally worked!”

Beca and Chloe pull away, Chloe giggling when they find Stacie looking at them with a pleased expression as Emily and Aubrey flank her sides. Aubrey’s smiling at them in approval as Emily tries to contain her squeals.

“Thanks Stace,” Chloe winks.

“Stacie Conrad I’m going to kill you,” Beca growls, but it lacks its usual bite because Chloe leans forward and presses a kiss to her forehead.

“They’re so cute,” Emily fawns, her eyes big and possibly watery.

Beca groans, but she’s stifling laughter as she digs her head into Chloe’s shoulder, pulling her close. Chloe laughs softly, pressing kisses into her hair.

Even with their friends looking on, Beca can’t remember a time she’s felt more at home than in Chloe’s arms.

"Come on," Chloe murmurs, beginning to pull away from her. "There's a whole party going on to celebrate  _you."_

Beca looks at Chloe and grins, taking her hand effortlessly before they join their friends.


End file.
